


Vitya on the Cliff by the Sea

by wildwolfsongs



Category: Gake no Ue no Ponyo | Ponyo, Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: AU, M/M, Ponyo AU, VictUuri
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-09
Updated: 2017-02-28
Packaged: 2018-09-23 04:00:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 10,294
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9639893
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wildwolfsongs/pseuds/wildwolfsongs
Summary: Yuuri is just a boy who suddenly finds himself befriending a magical fish who becomes human. When their union causes nature's balance to shift, will their love stand the test?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Please note that I don't own any of the characters from Yuri On Ice nor do I own the storyline of Ponyo. All the credit for those goes to the original writers and producers.

“Yuuri, come right back up, okay?” 

“Okay!” Yuuri quickly picked his way down the sloping trail to the waterfront below his home. The sea breeze brushed softly through his cropped black hair as he reached the water’s edge. As the young boy leaned down to rinse off the toy boat clutched in his hands, he caught sight of something red squished within a glass jar beneath the water’s surface. 

“Huh?” Carefully, he raised the jar up to his face, adjusting the glasses perched on his nose as he tried to decipher what was inside. His soft brown eyes flashed with concern as he realized that a small fish had been trapped within the jar. 

“A goldfish!” Carefully, Yuuri pulled at the fish’s body, trying in vain to remove it from the jar. 

“I can’t get him out.” Yuuri, realizing his original plan wasn’t working, grabbed a large stone and, using as much precision as a 5-year-old can, smacked it against the glass. Spidery cracks bloomed across the jar’s surface before it finally shattered and the fish was freed. 

“Ow!” Yuuri exclaimed, nursing a cut thumb quickly in his mouth as he cleaned the glass off the fish and cupped it in his hands. 

“He looks kind of dead.” Yuuri carefully nudged the fish’s humanoid face with his fingertips. After a pause, a delicate, pink tongue swiped across his bleeding thumb in a swift lick before disappearing back into the mouth of the fish.

“He licked me! He’s alive!” Yuuri exclaimed happily, jumping to his feet in excitement. 

“Yuuri, we’ll be late!” Yuuri heard his mother, Hiroko, yell from a distance. 

“Mom, a goldfish!” 

“Yuuri!” Hiroko called once again, not hearing her son’s response over the increasing gust of the wind. _This wind is crazy _, she thought to herself. “Yuuri, I’m starting the car now!”__

Yuuri quickly gathered up his toy boat while cradling the tiny goldfish in his palm. As he ran up the slope, the water seemed to chase after him as if it had a mind of its own. 

 

\----------

 

As the boy escaped the reach of the waves, a man with dark eyes and dark hair, styled in an undercut, rose from the ocean’s depths. He spoke to the surrounding waves in hushed and slightly frantic tones.

“Well? Have you found my son?” He demanded of the waves, which replied with gloomy no’s and an explanation of what had occurred on the water’s edge. “He was captured by a human?” The man glanced up at the cliff’s peak and spotted the young boy running past a gated fence. “This is bad.” The man shook his head nervously as he slowly sunk back beneath the waves on the ocean’s surface. 

 

\----------

 

Yuuri reached the house and quickly replaced the boat in his hands for his green pail, filling it with water. He carefully placed the fish inside the bucket and stared as it merely floated within the liquid. 

“Is he already dead?” Yuuri wondered sadly as the fish remained immobile. He eased the fish onto its back. Its face scrunched into a strange look before it spouted a stream of water into Yuuri’s face. 

“You are alive!” Yuuri giggled as the fish began to swim in little circles around the bucket. 

“Yuuri, I have a job you know!” The boy quickly grabbed the bucket and stood as he heard his mother’s impatient call. 

“Look, Mom, I found a goldfish!” Yuuri cried excitedly as he ran towards the car waiting by the side of the road. “It was right down by the rocks.” 

“A goldfish? By the rocks?” His mother replied in confusion. Yuuri nodded enthusiastically as he approached the car. His mother, however, was distracted by the sight of a strange, dark haired man approaching them, spraying a substance across the grass by his feet. Angrily, Hiroko whipped the passenger door open for her son before launching herself out of the car. “I don’t know who are you, but we don’t use things like weed killer here.” 

The man, startled, looked at the woman and explained, “This is not weed killer. It is the purest ocean water which keeps me from drying out on land.” 

“Whatever, as long as it’s not weed killer,” Hiroko replied, shaking her head before excusing herself, getting back in the car, and driving off, ignoring the man’s exclamation to wait. “That guy was a freak, but don’t you call people freaks. We don’t judge others by their looks.”

“I know, Mom. I don’t.” Yuuri said quietly, gazing at his fish. 

Hiroko glanced at the fish before saying, “You know your teacher doesn’t really like show and tell, Yuuri.” 

“I think it’ll be fine,” Yuuri responded determinedly before looking at his fish and exclaiming, “I’m going to take good care of you.” Yuuri then happened to glance down at his thumb. “Hey! My cut is all gone!” Yuuri sat in thought for a moment before speaking again. “Mom, I think I’m going to call him Victor, Vitya for short. He came to me. I think he may be magic! He’s my responsibility now.” 

“Well, he sure is pretty!” Hiroko commented, before muttering to herself in frustration about the ship heading for the dry dock ahead. “Yuuri, eat this sandwich,” she said, words muffled by the sandwich in her own mouth, as she passed the food to her son. 

“I wonder if he would eat this,” Yuuri pondered before quickly ripping off a small chunk of bread and holding it out to Victor. The fish gazed at the bread in disinterest, turning away slightly. Yuuri, disappointed, popped the bread in his mouth before asking, “Want some of the pork cutlet instead?” As Yuuri bit off a chunk of the meat, Victor suddenly leapt from the bowl and feistily tore the entire cutlet from between the slices of bread, munching hungrily. Yuuri stared in shock before he giggled. “Mom, Vitya really likes to eat pork cutlets! Just like me!” 

“Does he think he’s human?” Hiroko questioned, but Yuuri didn’t respond. Instead, he happily watched Victor with devotion and joy blazing in his eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Thanks so much for checking out my new Yuri On Ice - Ponyo AU. This is my first fanfiction and it's not beta'd. Please leave kudos and comments! I'll post as soon as I can, but I'd love to hear suggestions or answer questions. Love you all xx
> 
> Find me on tumblr: http://wildwolfsongs.tumblr.com/


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I know I said I was going to wait for some comments and suggestions before posting a second chapter, but I couldn't wait! I had already had the second chapter written so, here it is! I hope you guys enjoy.
> 
> Warning: Anxiety and subtle panic attacks are mentioned in this chapter.

Yuuri and his mother pulled into the **Yu-topia Senior Center ******parking lot only seconds in front of the white bus filled with the seniors arriving for the day. Hiroko quickly grabbed her work bag, turning to Yuuri as she finished.

“Please ask your teacher about the fish, Yuuri.” Hiroko smiled, knowing her sweet boy would do as she asked, before kissing him on the cheek and running off to grab more wheelchairs. Yuuri nodded dutifully in response to his mother as she ran off to work. He grabbed the bucket containing Victor and began to walk, careful to not spill the water, towards the gap in the bushes that would lead to his daycare center. As he passed the bus of seniors, he heard some of the elders, who had a soft spot for the gentle boy, call out to him. 

“Good morning, Yuuri!”  
“Yuuri, it’s good to see you this morning!” 

“Sorry Lilia, sorry Minako. Please excuse me, I’m concentrating right now.” The boy’s tongue flickered out of the side of his mouth as he adjusted the position of the bucket in his hand. 

“And me, Yuuri? Will you say good morning to me?” 

“I’m sorry, Yakov. I’m in a big hurry.” Yuuri let out a quiet sigh of relief as he reached the bushed and crawled through to the other side. Yuuri placed the bucket under the shade of the bushes, getting ready to head into the school. 

_Maybe the teacher will get mad _, Yuuri thought worriedly, his anxiety slowly building as he pictured the teacher scolding him. Yuuri glanced at the bucket once more before speaking aloud.__

“You’ll be safe here, Vitya. I’ll be back really soon, I promise!” A thought then occurred to Yuuri, _I wonder if there are any cats around here _. The young boy soon relaxed again as he spotted a large leaf, big enough to cover the open top of the bucket. “That should do it, Vitya. No cats will get you now. I’ll be right back.”__

Yuuri jogged off to the door of the daycare building, greeting his teacher politely as he entered. He fidgeted by the open door, shifting from foot to foot restlessly. Suddenly, a young, dark skinned boy twirled in through the open doorway wearing what looked like a new t-shirt with tiny hamsters all over it. 

“Yuuri! Look at this adorable new shirt my mother found for me!” The boy’s eyes shone as he awaited his friend’s praise of the apparel. 

“Phichit!” Yuuri distractedly commented on his friend’s shirt as his mind was filled with thoughts of the fish waiting for him under the bushes. 

“Let’s go play with Yuuko and Takeshi, Yuuri!” Phichit excitedly grabbed his hand and began to pull him away from the door. 

“I can’t right now, Phichit. I have a job to do so I’m too busy.” Phichit frowned at him. 

“You can’t be busy, Yuuri. You’re five.” Yuuri stood his ground, not wanting to upset his friend, but too preoccupied by Victor to play. Phichit shrugged and went off to play, giving Yuuri the chance he needed to slip back out the door unnoticed. 

“Vitya, I’m back!” Yuuri removed the leaf from the bucket to find that his fish was unmoving. “Vitya? Vitya!” Yuuri cried, eyes tearing up as he nudged the fish. Victor let out a soft yawn, rubbing at his eyes before gazing up at Yuuri from the water. Yuuri let out a quiet sob of relief, wiping his eyes off quickly. 

“Yuuri!” Yuuri jumped as a loud voice called his name from behind him. He spun around to find his friend Takeshi watching him. 

“Oh, Takeshi. It’s you.” Yuuri turned so that the bucket was hidden behind him, not wanting anyone to know about his fish yet.  >

“What’s that? You know there are rules about bringing things to school, Yuuri.” Takeshi shook his head at his younger friend before holding out his hand. “Let me see.” Yuuri shook his head. 

“These bushes are on Yu-topia’s property so I didn’t bring anything to school.” Takeshi shook his head in impatience before shoving past Yuuri to peer into the bucket behind his back. Yuuri sighed in resignation and allowed Takeshi a better look at Victor. 

“A goldfish? That’s the most boring thing I’ve ever seen in my life!” Takeshi laughed loudly. Yuuri frowned, _I don’t think Vitya is boring _. All of a sudden, Victor, seeing the sad look on Yuuri face, glared at the new boy in front of him and spouted a stream of water straight at the laughing child. Takeshi’s eyes widened in surprise before he angrily announced he was going to tell the teacher about Yuuri’s fish. Yuuri, not wanting Victor to be taken away, ran off through the bushes, fleeing to the senior center.__

“That was Takeshi’s fault. He shouldn’t have been rude to you, Vitya.” Yuuri smiled at his fish as it spat a softer stream of water fondly at Yuuri’s face. 

“You know, Lilia, I swear I can hear Yuuri’s voice, but I know that our sweet, little boy is in school right now. I must be imagining things!” Yuuri giggled softly as he heard Minako exclaim about her mental state in exasperation. 

“Here I am, Minako!” Yuuri called softly as he poked his head out from the bushes he had previously been hidden behind. 

“Well that’s a relief,” Lilia commented, “Minako isn’t losing her mind quite yet!” 

“Are you ready to see my special surprise?” Yuuri’s eyes blazed with excitement as he pulled the bucket from the bushes. “I’ll show you once you guess what color he is.” The two ladies pondered for a moment, before they both exclaimed their guesses at the same time. 

“He’s red!” 

“That’s right! But how did you both know?” Yuuri gazed at them in confusion, not realizing that Victor had lifted himself out of the bucket high enough for the women to see his body. Yuuri shook his head, writing the accurate guesses off as mere coincidence, before walking over to give the ladies a closer look inside the bucket. “His name is Victor, but I call him Vitya for short.” 

“Well, he’s very cute,” Minako commented, Lilia nodding in agreement as the two cooed at the tiny fish. 

“Yuuri, let me look in that pail of yours.” Yuuri glanced over as the grumpy Yakov wheeled himself towards the boy. 

“Of course, Yakov,” Yuuri responded, moving the bucket closer to Yakov’s view as the man approached. However, as soon as the elderly man caught a glimpse of the contents, he exclaimed loudly and became red in the face. 

“Yuuri! Put it back in the ocean where it belongs! It has a human face. Don’t you know that when a fish with a human face comes out of the ocean, it causes a tsunami?” Yakov yelled out in fear as Yuuri quickly pulled the bucket back into the protection of his own arms. Yakov continued to yell about tsunamis as Yuuri ran down towards the water in terror, his breathing growing heavy as his anxiety began to restrict his throat. As he reached an overhanging rock where he was hidden from sight, Yuuri paused to calm himself down. He heard his mother calling him back, telling him to apologize, but Yuuri didn’t understand what he had done wrong. All he wanted was to take care of Victor. 

“Don’t worry, Vitya. I promised to protect you no matter what and I will always keep that promise.” 

“Yuuri!” 

“Yuuri!” The boy’s jaw dropped as he realized that the voice calling his name was unfamiliar. He glanced down at the fish floating in the water by his knees. 

“Yuuri!” The fish cried again. “Vitya!” The fish said. Yuuri nodded, astonished yet blushing slightly from delight. 

“That’s right. Vitya,” he said pointing at the fish, “Yuuri,” he said pointing to himself this time. 

“Vitya loves Yuuri!” Victor began to flip within the water excitedly. Yuuri blushed a fierce, bright red this time before he took a breath and spoke. 

“I will love you too, Vitya.” 

Suddenly, the waves became violent and completely swept over the head of the young boy. Yuuri gripped the green bucket as tightly as he could, but the current suddenly rushed once again, tearing the toy and Victor from his grasp. Just as quickly as the waves had rushed at him, they went out again, leaving the boy soaking wet and gasping for breath on the rocks. 

“Vitya!” Yuuri immediately began to swim out into the water, calling for his lost friend. 

“Vitya!” Suddenly, the green bucket swept across the surface of the water into Yuuri’s hand. The boy glanced into it hopefully, but his heart sunk as he realized it only contained water. His breathing once again became rapid and labored as he anxiously called out for his fish. 

“Vitya, come back!” 

Hiroko, hearing her son’s cries, suddenly shouted out to her son as he was drifted further into the water. She waded through the shallower water trying to reach her son as he struggled to keep his head above water. 

“VITYA!” Yuuri cried out once more before his mother’s arms wrapped around him, pulling him from the water. The small boy sobbed into his mother’s chest, hiccupping and shaking as the realization hit him. He had lost Victor. 


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much to everyone who has left kudos or commented so far. It means a lot that so many people so far are enjoying this story. Here's chapter 3!

Hiroko glanced worriedly at her son in the seat beside her. The blazing sunset and warm summer breeze outside the car represented the exact opposite emotions to those felt in the heart of little Yuuri. The young boy was slumped in his car seat, a rapidly melting ice cream gripped limply in his hands. His eyes were dull and tired, his face red and blotchy from crying over his lost companion. 

“You know, Yuuri,” Hiroko began hesitantly, concerned about upsetting her child further, “Perhaps it’s for the best. Vitya _is _a fish; the ocean is his home.” Her son merely nodded his head, remaining silent.__

“Yuuri, your dad is finally coming home tonight. You can tell him all about Vitya, okay?” Yuuri perked up a little at the thought of seeing his dad, picking his head up and finishing his ice cream as their little car pulled into the driveway. Yuuri grabbed the bucket by his feet and slowly made his way across the lawn. As he gazed longingly at the ocean he heard his mother speak once more. 

“No more ocean today.” Yuuri thought for a moment before turning to his mother as she paused in the doorway.

“Maybe if I leave the pail on the fence, Vitya will see it and remember where we live?” The boy spoke quietly, voice sounding slightly hoarse from his earlier tears.

“Do that, Yuuri. I think that’s a lovely thing to for Vitya.” Hiroko smiled as she watched her son carefully place the bucket upside down on the fence before nodding once and turning to follow her into the house. 

\----- 

Meanwhile, down below the swirling depths of the ocean’s surface, little Victor glared angrily at his father, trying to force himself out of the magical bubble he was trapped inside.

“Let me go! I want to see Yuuri!” Victor slammed his body against the bubble’s edge repeatedly to no avail. 

“This is my fault. I exposed you to magic when you were much too young, you don’t understand it yet. I must keep the sea in balance, it’s my responsibility.” The dark haired wizard gazed sadly at his son when the little fish refused to stop fighting. “Come on now, that’s enough. Eat this, Veniamin.”

“I don’t want to eat that stuff; I want pork cutlets!” Victor spoke these words sharply, enunciating each one with a slam of his body on the bubble. 

“You ate their food? What else did you do? You didn’t taste blood did you, Veniamin?”

“My name is _not _Veniamin, it’s Vitya!”__

“Vitya?” 

“Vitya! Vitya _loves _Yuuri! I want to be a human too!” The man scowled as he heard his son’s wish.__

“Human? You know nothing of humans. They are filthy creatures who spoil the beautiful sea you and I call home. I was once a human myself, but I left that all behind to serve the earth.” Victor, however, wasn’t listening. The young fish had continued ranting about wanting hands and feet instead of his fins. The man watched in horror as Victor strained, pushing with all his strength. Suddenly, Victor had sprouted oddly shaped hands and feet from his body. 

“Oh no! You _have _tasted human blood! Don’t do this, it’s a terrible mistake, my son.”__

“I’m _going _to _Yuuri _!”____

The wizard quickly grabbed the bubble as Victor pushed it off the edge of the table. He squeezed down on the bubble, using his magic to revert the change and stop Victor’s transformation in its tracks. As he removed his hands, Victor floated to the bottom of the bubble stuck in a deep, magic-induced sleep.

“I’m sorry, my son. You cannot be magic and human at the same time.” He gently pushed the bubble into the larger containment unit he kept for all his children and walked away. 

_He’s already so powerful, just like his father. My darling, I may need your help soon._

\----- 

_RING RING ___

“Yuuri! Can you get the phone? I think it must be your father.” Yuuri scurried in on tiny legs and raised up onto his tiptoes to grab the phone. 

“Hello?” The boy smiled brightly as he heard his father’s voice on the other end. That smile didn’t stay for long however. 

“Hi, Yuuri! Listen, I caught a second run that I have to take. I can’t come home tonight, but I promise to signal when we pass the house. Can you help me tell your mother?” Yuuri sighed in disappointment.

“No, Dad. You should tell her.” He handed the phone off to his mother, wincing when she began to shout angrily through the phone. He flinched slightly when his mother slammed the phone down, furiously cleaning up all the dinner preparations. 

“Yuuri, let’s go out tonight. We can do something fun together.” Yuuri glanced worriedly out the window. 

“But Mom, what if Vitya comes back and we aren’t here?” Hiroko groaned in frustration, knowing her son’s anxiety would only increase if she were to take them out anyway. Yuuri watched as his mother stormed into the kitchen and sighed. 

Later that night, Yuuri stood on the balcony and signaled with his father’s ship as it passed. His mother laid on the bed behind him, too angry to even attempt to speak with her husband. Yuuri eventually turned the signal off as his father’s ship sailed out of sight, slowly wandering up to his mother’s head. He brushed his fingers through her hair softly as he heard her sniffle.

“Please don’t cry, Mom. I know dad broke his promise, but he’s trying to do his best for us.” Yuuri’s eyes drifted to the ocean outside the window as he spoke again, “I wonder if Vitya’s crying now. I promised I’d take care of him, but then I lost him.” Yuuri looked down sadly at his feet, hands wringing together. 

Hiroko couldn’t help but grasp her son in a tight bear hug, giggling as he squirmed and tried to free himself. 

“You always know just how to make me feel better.” She smiled at him and kissed his forehead. “Don’t worry, Yuuri. You did your best and I know Vitya will be just fine.”

\-----

Victor blinked rapidly, opening his eyes only to find his bubble prison surrounded by the hundreds of chewing mouths of his brothers and sisters. 

_They’re trying to help me get free! _Victor thought to himself in excitement. His siblings munched harder and harder until finally the bubble shook violently before a loud pop sounded. Victor swam upwards in a happy, swirling stream of bubbles.__

Almost immediately, Victor began to push all of his magical power out once more and, for the second time that night, he sprouted hands and feet. 

“Let’s go find Yuuri!” Victor, with his army of little siblings following behind, used his magic to cut a hole through the large container they were held in and suddenly the water spewed outward into the office space beyond. As this happened, the water began to mix in with the magical elixirs that were kept in stock. Those elixirs were all it took for the hundreds of baby fish to become large wavelike creatures that were powerful enough to push Victor out and away from the boat and back to the surface.

“I’m free!” 

_I’m coming, Yuuri. ___

\----- 

**The next day ******

\----- 

Yuuri glanced out the door at the torrential rain showering down from the stormy skies. His teacher called him over to ask if he wanted her to call and have his mother come pick him up, but he insisted he could walk the short distance despite the weather. He bowed his goodbye before heading out into the storm. He quickly made his way to the senior center doors, forcibly pushing them open as gusting gales outside had cut the power. He stood in the entryway, raindrops cascading heavily from his coat and hair. 

“Yuuri! I’m sorry the door didn’t open. The power just went out! Was school okay?” Hiroko watched her son nod before turning to go finish up the last of her work. As she walked away, Yuuri slowly approached the living area of the senior center where Minako and Lilia sat watching the storm through the windows. 

“Hi Minako. Hi Lilia.”

“Oh, Yuuri, is that you? I can barely see since it’s so dark.” Minako squinted at him trying to make out his features through the shadows. 

“I have a gift for you. I made an origami Vitya out of paper to help us all remember him. There’s one for you too, Lilia.” He handed the small, red slips of paper to each of the women and cracked a tiny, pleased smile as they admired the gifts. He glanced over at Yakov sitting in front of the scratchy television screen and inched slowly towards the grumpy, old man. 

“Yakov, this is for you. It’s my father’s ship.” The man grunted, but took the young boy’s gift despite his gruff demeanor. Yuuri grinned more widely now, pleased that Yakov had accepted his offering. Yuuri turned as he heard his mother calling him and went to follow her out to the car. 

His mother drove carefully, but quickly, down the road towards their home. Yuuri studied the raging ocean as waves launched up into the blustery air before crashing back down in large, slamming splashes. 

“The ocean looks all puffed up.” Yuuri turned to his mother with worried eyes. “Could this storm sink the ships out there?”

“No, sweetheart. Ships are built to handle storms like this. Your father’s is no different.” Yuuri nodded, his mother’s words having comforted him. However, he soon felt his jaw drop when he looked out the window again. 

“Mom! I just saw this _huge _fish come out right from inside a wave!” His mother, distracted by the dangerous road conditions didn’t respond as she jerked the wheel back and forth, trying to stay on the correct side of the road.__

“Try to hang on to something, Yuuri!” The boy grabbed onto the sides of his car seat instinctively, eyes never once straying from the waves that seemed to be almost following even the slightest turn of their car. He felt his heartbeat rise as he watched what looked like a small child run across the top of the waves trying to reach the car. He gasped in horror as the kid suddenly tripped and fell backwards into the powerful rage of the sea.

“Mom! There was a little kid and they fell into the water!” His mother quickly slammed on the brakes, pulling the car off to the side of the road. They spent a few minutes scanning the shoreline for the child before his mother had no choice but to turn back to the car and drive off once more. 

“I’m sorry, Yuuri, we have to go. It’s alright, there was no little kid. We’re almost back home.” She pressed the gas pedal quickly and sped up the last stretch of the hill to their driveway. Yuuri glanced up as he saw his little, green pail fly over the car and tumble into the foamy waves. He threw himself out of the car, distressed at the thought of losing his sign for Victor. However, what he saw as he turned towards the waves caught his attention. The child he saw before, who he could now determine was a little boy, was standing on the road behind them with the bucket clenched in his fists. 

“You were right, there _is _a child. Come over here, we’ll help you!” His mother waved at the boy, trying to get his attention, but something else had gotten it first. The boy seemed to take in a deep, shocked inhale before sprinting as fast as his little legs could towards them. Hiroko bent down to meet the child, but whipped around in astonishment as the boy ignored her and crashed straight into Yuuri’s arms.__

“Wait a minute, Yuuri. Do you _know _him?” Yuuri slowly pushed the boy off him, staring at the smiling face and icy blue eyes in front of him. He knew in his heart who stood in front of him, but he couldn’t believe it for sure until he asked.__

“…Vitya?” 

“Mm-hm! It’s me. Vitya!” Yuuri started to laugh in disbelief and happiness, hugging Victor tightly. 

“Mom, Vitya came back and he’s a little boy now! Look!” Hiroko’s eyes widened, now recognizing the face of the child and shook her head in amazement. 

Victor turned towards the waves where all his siblings waited with bated breath and passionately announced,

“I found Yuuri!” 

For a brief moment, as the baby fish and their human brother celebrated, the storm broke and the soft rays of a glowing, golden sun peaked out, bestowing their warmth and light upon the two reunited souls.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you guys liked this chapter. Please feel free to leave a comment or suggestion, I love hearing from you guys. I hope to have the 4th chapter out soon, this story will probably end up with 6 or 7 in the end! Love you all xx


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, here's chapter 4! Only 2 left to go after this. I really appreciate everyone that's been reading this story and those who have stayed to read the rest. I love hearing from you in the comments, so please feel free to put something there for me to see. I always try to respond. Enjoy the new chapter! Love you all xx
> 
> Warning: Anxiety is briefly mentioned in this chapter.

“Well Yuuri, Vitya. Life is strange and wonderful, but we have work to do now.” Hiroko gathered the two children under her arms, carrying them through the door of the house as the storm began to gather strength once more. She placed the boys on the floor of the entryway, telling them to stay put as she grabbed towels from the storage cabinet down the hall. When she returned, she found the boys grinning happily at each other and couldn’t help but smile as well. 

“Vitya, I have a job for you. Will you hold this light for me?” Victor gazed in awe at the soft glow of the battery powered lantern before nodding dutifully, grabbing the light from her hand. Hiroko told Yuuri to take his coat off after she had dried his hair thoroughly in the towel. She then turned to Victor and began to rub him dry from head to toe. “Look at your pretty silver hair, it’s almost dry! Your clothes are dry too.” Hiroko’s face scrunched up in confusion.

“Mom, Vitya was a fish remember? The water won’t make him wet.” Victor began cuddling with the fluffy, white towel as the mother and son conversed.

“I really like this thing!” Yuuri giggled before grabbing Victor’s wrist, gently pulling him along as they went into the living room. Victor ran ahead and starting hopping along the plush couch cushions. “It smells like you in here, Yuuri!” 

“Let’s warm up with some hot tea. Vitya, can you bring the light into the kitchen please?” Victor’s feet slapped softly against the hardwood floors as he pranced into the kitchen, the light making shadows bounce wildly across the walls. “Who wants to bet that the water is working?” 

“I do!” Yuuri exclaimed with Victor quickly copying, trusting Yuuri’s choice. Hiroko flicked the tap on and the two boys shouted happily as water came rushing down into the kettle under the faucet. 

“Now, who wants to bet the stove will light?” 

“I do!” This time it was Victor who had shouted first. The stove lit without a hitch and Hiroko placed the kettle upon the burner to boil. 

“Come on, Vitya. Let’s go sit at the table.” Yuuri and Victor trotted into the dining room where they sat down eagerly. Victor had slammed his body down so quickly that his feet ended up where his head should’ve been. Yuuri, laughing, helped Victor situate himself properly on the chair. “Put your stuff down beside you.” Victor glanced at his hands, filled with the towel, the light, and the pail. He went to shake his head, not wanting to lose any of his possessions, but Yuuri’s gentle, encouraging look had the silver haired boy laying everything down carefully. 

Hiroko walked over with the tea. She skillfully poured it into each of three mugs and then reached for a large jar that contained a silky, golden substance that Yuuri loved: honey. Victor’s eyes sparkled in curiosity and delight at the sight of something so delicate and beautiful.

“Here you go. Be careful, it’s hot.” The two boys began to blow on their drinks, cooling them down slightly before they gulped them down hurriedly. Soon the three of them felt warmth pooling in even the furthest reaches of their bodies. 

“Well, now that we’ve warmed up,” Hiroko began, “what would the two of you like to do?” Victor left no room for thought as he jumped up excitedly.

“I want pork cutlets!” Yuuri had jumped in surprise when Victor leapt to his feet, but soon found himself giggling uncontrollably.

“All he can think about is pork cutlets!” 

“I guess I should make some dinner then. But we need to call your father first.” The two boys followed Hiroko to where the generator was stored. 

“My father is the captain of a ship and he’s out at sea right now.” Yuuri explained to Victor. “We need power to talk to him on the radio, so we need to get the generator going.” 

“Vitya, what’s your dad like?” Hiroko glanced back at the young boy, wincing as she saw a fiery stubbornness in his eyes.

“He hates humans. He kept me in a bubble, but I swam away from home!” Hiroko nodded, feeling slightly awkward after the harsh response. 

“So, what’s your mother like then?” Victor thought for a moment.

“Well, I don’t have a mother. But I have my Papa! He’s big and _beautiful _! But he can get pretty scary.” Hiroko could tell that Victor had a large amount of affection for his Papa. She turned back to the generator and tried to get it running, pulling at the starter several times without result.__

__“It must be clogged,” the woman stated in frustration._ _

__“It’s clogged over there,” Victor responded plainly, pointing to a specific area on the fuel line. Yuuri watched in shock as Victor began to strain slightly, hand grasping the air as if pulling something. The next time Hiroko tried to pull the starter, Victor made a satisfied noise as the gentle rumbling remained constant and the lights flickered on in the house._ _

__“Vitya, that was amazing!” Yuuri smiled at the other boy before following his mother to the radio. The three fiddled with the radio for a few minutes, trying to reach Toshiya and give them the message that they were all okay. Soon, they gave up on trying to get reception and flicked the radio off._ _

__“Let’s get you boys some dinner.”_ _

__\-----_ _

__“Captain, I can see lights up ahead! We can finally stop and get our bearings again after that rough storm.” Toshiya grabbed his binoculars to look out at ahead of their ship in response to his sailor’s comment._ _

__“Are we in China or something? What mountains are those?” His crew shook their heads, not knowing the answer to their captain’s questions. “Why is the moon so close?” Toshiya looked out again before gasping in realization of what he was looking at._ _

__“That mountain is a giant wall of water. Those lights are hundreds of ships! The moon has gotten so close that it’s forcing the ocean to rise. Wha-" Toshiya’s sentence broke off as his ship suddenly lurched beneath his feet, all the lights and sounds going dead._ _

__“The engine stopped!”_ _

__“Try to keep the ship steady and lower the sea anchor!” Toshiya knew he needed to keep calm._ _

__“Something’s coming this way! Look in the water!” Toshiya ran to the side of the ship just as a golden light came flooding by the ship, sloshing water gently against the iron. As Toshiya looked closer, he saw that the light was in fact a shimmering image of a man with long, silky blond hair and green eyes, the color of seafoam._ _

__“I just saw the god of mercy!” Toshiya watched the figure continue moving towards the ships and water ahead of them, but soon became distracted by a loud thump as the ship’s engine roared back to life._ _

__“It was him. He saved us.” The crew all began to pray, thanking the god for protecting them._ _

__\-----_ _

__“Alright, boys. Have you got your noodles ready?” Hiroko chuckled as the boys quickly rushed to show her their bowls, filled with dry noodles. She waited until they had moved back slightly before pouring the boiling hot water. She covered the bowls and told the boys to wait three minutes before walking back into the kitchen. As she came back a minute later, she asked the boys to cover their eyes, holding something behind her back._ _

__“Keep them shut, okay?” She glanced up in suspicion to see Victor trying to sneak a peek without her knowing._ _

__“Vitya! No peeking!” The boy gasped before quickly covering his eyes once more. The two boys heard the quiet clinking of the lids on their bowls before Hiroko told them it was okay to look, whipping the lids off as they opened their eyes. On top of the piping hot noodles sat a thin layer of egg and, of course, several slices of-_ _

__“Pork cutlets!” Vitya cried in happiness, immediately reaching out to grab the meat and shove it in his mouth. Yuuri had tried to warn him about the heat, but he could only shake his head in amusement as the silver haired boy jumped around, fanning his mouth rapidly. The two boys sat and munched their food, but it soon became clear that Victor was not going to remain awake for the whole meal. He dipped his chopsticks into the bowl once more, finishing his mouthful, before collapsing onto Yuuri’s shoulder snoring softly._ _

__“Mom, Vitya fell asleep,” Yuuri whispered. Hiroko carefully lifted the boy off her son’s shoulder and laid him on the couch with a blanket._ _

__Yuuri and his mother wandered over to the window, noticing that the storm had finally seemed to calm down._ _

__“Do you see that light, Yuuri?” Hiroko pointed across the ocean to the other side of town at a flickering glow, the only one visible in the whole landscape._ _

__“That’s the senior center."_ _

__"The light’s moving which means there’s still someone over there. I’m worried about the seniors, they should’ve evacuated.” Yuuri watched as his mother turned and began to grab a few items, putting them into a bag. His anxiety flared._ _

__“Where are you going?”_ _

__“I’ve got to go help them, sweetheart. I can get there if I take the mountain road, it won’t be flooded.” Hiroko frowned as tears pooled in her son’s eyes._ _

__“I’m going with you.”_ _

__“No, Yuuri. You stay here with Vitya, I’d feel better if you did.” Her son continued to fight against her, tears bubbling up faster now as his anxiety increased. She reached out and grabbed him, hugging him close to her chest so he could feel her heartbeat. He began to calm down immediately, rubbing the tears from his eyes._ _

__“Listen. Our house is a beacon in this storm right now for the town and for the ships because everywhere else is dark. I need to go help at the senior center, but someone has to be here. I’m going to leave you in charge, okay? I know you can do it. Let Vitya sleep and wait for me to come back. You’re young, but you’re very smart. I know you can be brave.”_ _

__Hiroko filled a tray with food and drinks for the two boys, wrapping it all up neatly so that it would be easy to access when they needed it. She turned to hug her son once more as she was heading out the door._ _

__“Promise you’ll come back.”_ _

__“I promise. I love you, Yuuri”_ _

__\-----_ _

__Outside in the calm of the night, the wizard with dark hair rose from the ocean along the cliff side atop a large wave. He reached out to grab hold of the fence around the house only to lean back as a powerful wave of magic pushed him away._ _

__“That’s a powerful spell. How has he learned to do that?” The man peered into the glass doors on the side of the house, gasping in reaction to what he saw. “He’s turned into a human!” His outrage was cut short as the wave below him began to wobble, throwing him up into the air. As he landed in the water, he saw that the wave had been attacked by his hundreds of other children who were trying to protect their brother from him._ _

__“Children, stop this! You need to respect your father. This is a serious matter; I’m trying to save your brother.” Suddenly, all the little fish began to swim in the opposite direction to the man towards a golden light that was approaching through the water at a fast yet smooth pace. “At last. He’s finally come.” The man quickly raised himself up onto his ship as his blond lover rose up from the water, no longer a shimmery image but instead a lean, young man who spoke softly._ _

__“Otabek.”_ _

__“My darling, it’s been a long time.” The blond man smiled and joined hands with his love._ _

__“Look at my ocean. Something big has changed for it is now full of magic and power.” Otabek brushed a hand through his hair in nervousness._ _

__“You are going to be upset, Yura. Vitya got into my elixirs and tasted human blood. Now he’s transformed himself into a human.”_ _

__“Vitya? That’s a lovely name,” Yuri responded, not looking particularly alarmed at the news his lover was sharing. Otabek shook his head, his disappointment in himself evident._ _

__“Of course, it’s my fault really. He’s so powerful and he’s too young to understand. There’s a hole in the fabric of reality now. He’s a human and he loves a little boy. The whole world is out of balance because of it. Yura, you must remove the human in him before the planet is doomed.” Otabek had become more and more frustrated as he continued speaking, only calming down when Yuri placed his hand lightly on his shoulder._ _

__“Be calm, darling.” Yuri pondered for a moment, glancing at the house as his eyes flashed briefly with a burst of magic. “Yuuri. The boy’s name is Yuuri.” The blond smiled at the thought of the sweet boy his son had fallen in love with sharing his own name. “Otabek, why don’t we let Vitya become human for good? We can test the boy. We love Vitya and we want him to be happy. If Yuuri’s love is true, then Vitya will be permanently transformed and the balance can be restored.”_ _

__“But, Yura. If the boy’s love isn’t true, then Vitya will turn into seafoam.”_ _

__“That’s true, but didn’t we all originate from that point?” Otabek worriedly met his lover’s eyes._ _

__“But they’re so young, so innocent.” Yuri smiled, brushing a hand out in front of where the house stood. In response to the magic, the lights in the house all shut off, leaving the two boys inside to sleep peacefully._ _

__“Let them sleep. They’ll need their rest for what lies ahead.”_ _


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I'm so sorry for the long stretch between chapters! College is a crazy experience and it gets busy sometimes! I hope you enjoy chapter 5. Only one more chapter to go!

“Yuuri!” The little, brown-haired boy’s face scrunched up as a loud call roused him from sleep. 

 

“Yuuri!” Brown eyes flashed open as the familiar voice registered in his head. Yuuri glanced above him, gaze meeting icy blue eyes and silver hair, and his head shot up only to collide with something hard and warm: Victor’s head. 

 

“Vitya! Are you okay?” Victor just grinned widely at him.

 

“Good morning, Yuuri!” Yuuri giggled and shook his head, returning the greeting before his eye caught sight of the sliding glass doors that lead to his backyard. 

 

“Look at that, Vitya! The ocean is at our doorstep!” The two boys ran to the glass and peered out in awe at the sight of the salty waves slapping gracefully at the edge of the house. Victor looked away first, glancing around the living room in search of something he had noticed was missing. 

 

“Where’s your mom? How come she’s not here?” Yuuri bit his lip and his eyes turned dark with worry. 

 

“The water came up really high overnight so she must be stuck at the senior center. Too bad we don’t have a boat, we could go get her.” Yuuri sighed, the anxious bubble of worry settling in his heart as he prayed for his mother’s safety. 

 

“Yuuri! There’s a boat right there!” Yuuri spun around to face the glass doors once again as Victor spoke, heart soaring at the thought that someone was nearby who had a boat they could use. When he glanced around and saw nothing in sight, he turned back to Victor in confusion only to see his companion pointing to the plastic toy boat Yuuri often played with. 

 

“It’s too small, Vitya. It’s just a toy,” Yuuri said, sighing in defeat. 

 

“No it’s not!” Yuuri opened his mouth to protest and explain once more to Victor why his toy wouldn’t get them very far when Victor suddenly tensed up. Yuuri had seen him do this once before and he held his breath in anticipation. Yuuri blinked and when he looked again, his toy boat had been replaced with a larger one, big enough for the two children to sit in. 

 

“Wow! Thank you, Vitya!” Yuuri raced to the side of the boat, eyes gleaming in delight as he took in all the enlarged details. “You even made the candle bigger! This will definitely help us get to my mom!” The two boys grinned at each other as they pushed the rig out into the water by the door. They worked together to get the boiler started and the candle lit before hopping inside to begin their adventure. 

 

“Looks like everything is shipshape,” Yuuri stated before pushing the blazing candle under the boiler, accelerating them forward and away from home. 

 

“Shipshape!” Victor shouted happily in reply. “This is a good boat, right Yuuri?” Victor turned his head slightly to look back at the other boy from his perch atop the overhead cover. Yuuri nodded excitedly in response.

 

“Vitya, you be the boat’s lookout while I steer, okay? We’re going to follow the road that my mom took last night. Can you see it under the water?” Victor nodded vigorously and gave a thumbs up before jumping to his feet, hands splayed out into the air in a happy dance.

 

“I’m the lookout!” Yuuri giggled and the two continued onward.

 

\----- 

 

“Ahoy!” Yuuri’s head perked up and he glanced around the surrounding area as he heard a new voice call out. 

 

“Ahoy!” This time, a second voice called out and Yuuri spotted a nearby rowboat where two women sat with a small baby between them, their arms waving wildly as they tried to catch the boys’ attention. 

 

“I want to say that!” Victor exclaimed, enthusiastically calling ‘Ahoy!’ back at the ladies. Yuuri pushed the candle further under the boiler, making the boat launch forward in a burst of speed before he blew out the flame and let the boat crawl forward to meet the other. 

 

“Hello you two!” Now that Yuuri had a closer look, he recognized the red-haired and black-haired women that sat before him. 

 

“Mila! Sara!” 

 

“Hi Yuuri!” Sara responded sweetly to the young boy. Sara worked with his mother at the senior center and had met the young boy many times. Mila was Sara’s wife who always liked to spin Yuuri around in the air and give him homemade cookies when his mother wasn’t looking. 

 

“Who’s your friend, Yuuri?” Mila asked, peering curiously at the unfamiliar face. 

 

“This is Vitya! He used to be a fish, but when I lost him one day, he came back as a little boy!” Victor nodded firmly in agreement. 

 

“I like your name, Vitya,” Sara said, flashing the silver-haired boy a soft, motherly smile before turning back to Yuuri. “Why isn’t your mother with you?” 

 

“She went to the senior center last night because she was worried they hadn’t evacuated. We are going to look for her.” Sara opened her mouth to say something in response to Yuuri’s explanation when suddenly, the little blond haired baby in Mila’s lap began to reaching towards Victor with tiny hands. 

 

“Our baby likes you! His name is Christophe, but we just call him Chris.” Mila glanced down at the baby. “Can you say hi?” Baby Chris just cooed and made babbling noises, still watching Victor with an intense curiosity. Victor’s eyes never once left Chris’s as the young boy seemingly tried to telepathically communicate with the small infant. Victor suddenly sat up with a determined nod and unzipped the rucksack on his shoulders. He pulled out a thermos of soup and set the bag down beside him. After carefully twisting off the top and pouring out a hearty serving of the hot liquid, he held it out to the family in the boat. 

 

“Oh, is that for us?” Sara asked politely, reaching out to take the cup from Victor. “Thank you! It smells really good.” The woman took a careful sip and smiled at the rich and flavorful taste. “That’s wonderful.” Sara turned to thank Victor once again but was caught off guard at the look of blunt annoyance on the child’s face.

 

“The soup is for Chris.” Victor pouted as Sara’s face fell. He hadn’t wanted to upset the woman, but the young baby had told Victor he was hungry and Victor only wished to help. Mila glanced between the boy and her wife before speaking softly.

 

“Vitya, we’re sorry, but Chris is too young to eat soup. He can only drink milk at his age. Would it be alright if Sara and I ate the soup while we give Chris some milk?” Victor pondered for a moment before smiling. 

 

“That’s fine!” The two boys said their goodbyes to the family, Mila wishing them luck in their search for Yuuri’s mother as the boat began to slowly cast off. Victor’s head whipped back around, however, at the sound of a baby crying. 

 

“Oh no! Chris, you’re getting sick!” Sara and Mila fussed over their baby as Victor’s eyes widened in concern. He stood quickly, leaping between the two boats until he was able to grasp Chris’s pudgy face between his hands gently. Victor tensed up, pushing his forehead against the infant’s and focused his magic between his hands. When he pulled away and jumped back onto Yuuri’s boat, he was pleased to hear the cooing giggles of the baby dance around his ears as they sailed away. 

 

\----- 

 

As the two boys adventured further, getting closer to their destination, they came across a large parade of boats carrying a majority of the townspeople towards higher ground. The captain of the lead ship called out to them.

 

“Are you in need of any assistance?” Yuuri immediately jumped up and called back.

 

“We’re looking for my mother! She went to the senior center last night and never came back! Do you know where she is?” The captain’s face lit up in recognition.

 

“The seniors should have all evacuated to the park so try there! We’ll come back to get them and bring them to the mountain hotel once we’ve dropped off this group! Good luck!” Yuuri waved his thanks at the group before setting course for the park. 

 

The boys were approaching the final stretch of their journey. What was unknown to them both, however, was the fact that this final piece of the puzzle would end up being the most difficult and emotional test the two would face.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well this is it! The final chapter of Vitya and Yuuri's adventure. Thank you so so much to everyone who has stuck with this story through to the end. I've really appreciated all the love and support this story has gotten, especially since it was the first I've posted. I hope you all enjoy the concluding chapter. I love you all so much xx

“Our candle is almost gone, Vitya. It’s a good thing I can see the road up ahead. We’ll be able to get out and walk…” Yuuri’s sentence trailed off as he glanced up at Victor. The young boy was swaying on top of the overhead cover as his eyes struggled to stay open. “Hey, are you okay?” Yuuri asked in concern. 

 

“Yuuri…” Victor flopped backwards and began to snore softly. Yuuri shook his head and blew out the candle which had become a waxy puddle. The boy jumped off the side of the boat and began to steadily push it the last few feet to shore when suddenly the boat began to vibrate violently beneath his hands. Yuuri jumped back, startled and watched in horror as the boat began to shrink back down to toy size. He hurriedly seized the front of Victor’s shirt and pulled the sleeping boy along to shore to avoid him falling into the water. 

 

“Vitya!” Yuuri tried to shake the boy awake, wanting to make sure the boy was okay. Victor’s eyes slowly dragged open and he smiled sleepily at Yuuri. “You’re okay,” Yuuri breathed, his anxious thoughts melting away as Victor stood to hold his own weight. “Don’t turn into a fish again. I’d miss you.” Victor smiled softly and squeezed Yuuri’s hand in reassurance as the two continued walking.

 

Suddenly, Yuuri froze, eyes fixated upon the road ahead of them where his mother’s car sat unmoving. 

 

“It’s my mom’s car, Vitya! She might be there!” The young boy released Victor’s hand as he ran forward calling for his mother. “Mommy! Mommy!” Yuuri reached the car and, upon seeing that it was empty, began to cry. Victor approached the boy carefully, the toy boat that Yuuri had dropped held in his hands. 

 

“Yuuri… There’s water coming from your eyes.” Yuuri sniffed and gazed at Victor with sad, watery eyes, his tears subsiding as Victor once again grabbed his hand. “I have your boat,” Victor said, handing the toy to his friend. 

 

“Let’s go find your mom.” Victor spoke softly, not wanting to make the boy beside him cry more, and sighed quietly in relief as Yuuri nodded and began to walk with him, hand tightly laced with his own. 

 

\----- 

 

Close by, beneath the flowing currents of the rising ocean, rests the local park now surrounded by a large air bubble. The previously wheelchair-ridden Minako and Lilia were dancing across the grass, laughing giddily as they relived their ballet days in this magical space that allowed them the free mobility of their legs once again. 

 

“The other side is nice, isn’t it? My knees don’t hurt and my back feels like it did when I was 20!” Minako spun around on her foot in a pirouette. 

 

“This is the other side?” Lilia seemed a bit shocked, but soon began to laugh in delight with her friend, happy to dance again. “It’s like a dream.” 

 

“Ladies, can we gather around, please?” Otabek had come striding out of his ship that was resting against the outside edge of the bubble. The two women raced each other across the park to reach the man who had helped them when the ocean’s tides had almost completely covered their refuge on the surface. “The time has come to bear witness to a sacred test of love.”

 

“This is just so exciting!” Minako exclaimed, enthusiastically grabbing Lilia’s hands.

 

“Are they too young for this?” Lilia wondered worriedly. 

 

“Are we too old?” Minako joked, bumping shoulders with Lilia.

 

“Please, ladies, the children will be here very son. This is a very important moment, a crucial moment.” Otabek wrung his hands together in nervous agitation. 

 

“Otabek, you won’t let any harm come to Yuuri or Vitya, will you?” Minako asked, suddenly fearful for the boys’ safety.

 

“It’s not in his nature!” Lilia declared.

 

“Of course I won’t. My hope is that dear Vitya stays asleep. Please excuse me, ladies.” Otabek walked purposefully towards the edge of the park that would lead upward to the surface. 

 

“Do you think we can trust him? Yakov didn’t,” Lilia questioned anxiously. “I wonder what Hiroko thinks…” 

 

“She’s been with that other man and they’ve been talking all night and all day.”

 

“I wish we could hear what they were talking about.”

 

“Well, why don’t we just ask?” Minako grinned as she spoke, before she began calling Hiroko’s name. The woman turned, excusing herself from the blond man’s side, before approaching the elderly ladies. “Hiroko, are you sure you can trust these men?” 

 

“Tell us what’s going to happen next!” Lilia butted in curiously.

 

“Whatever happens next, I’m glad you’ll all be here. It’s going to be fine.”

 

\------ 

 

The two boys approached the stone tunnel that lead to the park’s entrance. Yuuri was about to step forward when Victor suddenly grabbed his hand, holding him back. 

 

“Don’t like this place.” Victor was looking tired but worried, pulling back on Yuuri’s hand.

 

“Don’t let go of my hand, okay?” Victor nodded hesitantly and followed Yuuri into the tunnel. As the two made their way through the tunnel, Yuuri began to feel a strange sensation in the hand that was entwined with Victor’s. As he glanced over, he watched in horror as Victor, who had fallen asleep while walking, began slowly transforming from human to fish before his eyes. He quickly grabbed Victor in his arms and raced from the tunnel out into the open air.

 

By the time he reached the light, Victor was a sleeping fish within his palms. 

 

Yuuri quickly filled the green bucket and placed fish Victor inside, tears streaming down his face.

 

“Vitya! Vitya, please don’t die! Wake up!”

 

“Shh. Be careful not to wake him up.” Yuuri’s head shot up at the strange voice above him, gaze meeting with cautious, dark eyes. “It’s good to meet you, Yuuri. We’ve all been waiting for you. The old ladies, your mother, and-“

 

“My mother?” Yuuri’s eyes brightened at the knowledge that this man knew where his mother was. The boy stood, Victor’s bucket held in his grasp securely.

 

“Won’t you come with me and join them? Vitya can come too. I promise I won’t take him away from you.” Otabek held out his hand for the boy to take. As Yuuri slowly began to stretch out his hand, he heard another voice, this one very familiar.

 

“YUURI!” The young boy’s head whipped around and he spotted Yakov in the distance standing beneath the gazebo of the park. “Yuuri! Don’t listen to him! He tricked all the others into going with him, but he can’t fool me!”

 

“There’s so little time! A choice must be made! The world is out of balance and if the moon comes any closer, then we will all be underwater!” Otabek argued, running his hands through his hair in frustration. “Yuuri, please listen. You need to trust me, you’re the only one who can save the planet.” 

 

“Yuuri, come on!” Yakov had hobbled out to the edge of the water. Yuuri made a split second decision and ran towards the old, Russian man. Otabek, however, had sent his waves after the boy and just as Yuuri reached Yakov, the waves collapsed over them and pulled them under the ocean to the bubbled park. As the two sank to the grass, they opened their eyes and took in the sights around them. 

 

“Mommy!” Yuuri suddenly shouted, leaping to his feet and racing to meet his mother’s open arms in a tight embrace. Yakov grumpily bickered with the two elder ladies as the mother and son reunited. Yuuri was soon distracted by another strange and unfamiliar voice.

 

“So, this is Yuuri.” The little boy glanced up to see a beautifully handsome blond man whose green eyes shimmered like the sea at sunrise. 

 

“Are you Vitya’s Papa?” Yuuri asked quietly, comforted by the warmth in the man’s gaze. 

 

“Yes, I am. You know, my name is Yuri too. You can call me Yura though, that’s my nickname, and that way it won’t get confusing.” Yuri winked playfully at the brown-haired boy as he lowered himself onto one knee in order to be eye level with Yuuri. 

 

“Really?” Yuuri questioned wide-eyed in disbelief. Yuri chuckled and nodded before speaking again.

 

“You brought my son here safely. Thank you. Yuuri, Vitya took magic elixirs because he wants very much to be human, to be a real boy. He needs you to accept and love him as he truly is. You remember that Vitya was a fish, don’t you?” Yuuri nodded. “And you know him as a human. Your blood did that.” 

 

“That’s what it was? I cut my thumb when I rescued Vitya from a glass jar and he licked it to make it better. That’s how he changed into a human…” 

 

“Could you love him if he moved between two worlds?”

 

“Yes! I love Vitya and all his little brothers and sisters. I know it’s a big responsibility to love someone, but I really do love him.” Yuri’s eyes glinted knowingly and he turned to encompass his son in a bubble of water before lifting him from the pail. 

 

“Vitya, my darling boy, Yuuri had promised to accept you as you are. However, to become human, you must choose to abandon all magic. Can you do that?” 

 

“Mm-hm!” Victor nodded fiercely at his Papa. Yuri smiled and gently placed the bubble with Victor inside into Yuuri’s hands. 

 

“When you return to land, Yuuri, kiss the bubble and Vitya will become a little boy growing up just like you.” 

 

“I accept, Vitya. Thank you very much, Yura.” Yuuri’s beaming grin made the blond god smile in return before he walked away to stand beside Otabek, their hands lacing gently.

 

“Yuuri, try to remember me kindly, if you will. Please, take care of Vitya.” Otabek smiled as he spoke to the young boy before he turned to address the rest of the group gathered in the park. 

 

“Everyone, the balance of nature is once again restored. Life will begin again.” Otabek announced this with pride and relief mixed in his voice. The two godly lovers turned and walked off together as the rest began to make their way to the surface. 

 

\----- 

 

As Hiroko, Yuuri, and Vitya, who was still encased in the bubble, approached their home they were bathed in soft sunlight as the sea returned to its natural state and nature reached a resting point.

 

“Yuuri, look! It’s your father!” Hiroko gasped suddenly, pointing out to the harbor where Toshiya’s ship was docking and the man himself was waving frantically at his family.

 

“Look, Vitya! There’s my dad’s ship! He’s safe!” Yuuri let out an exhale of relief before his eyes widened. He looked down at his hands where he’d felt Victor’s bubble suddenly leave. His eyes followed the bubble as the fish launched himself up high into the air before darting straight down at Yuuri’s face.

 

 

As Vitya and Yuuri’s lips met, Vitya morphed into a human boy once more. The two parted with twin smiles and matching blushes as their story came to a close and they lived happily ever after.

**Author's Note:**

> Hey everyone! Thanks so much for checking out my new Yuri On Ice - Ponyo AU. This is my first fanfiction and it's not beta'd. Please leave kudos and comments! I'll post as soon as I can, but I'd love to hear suggestions or answer questions. Love you all xx
> 
> Find me on tumblr: http://wildwolfsongs.tumblr.com/


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